LBL Currents -- August 26, 1994

Environmentally friendly technique recovers metals from waste water

By Lynn Yarris, LCYarris@lbl.gov

An environmentally benign technique for removing and recovering
metals from waste water that is being developed by LBL scientists could be used
to clean up abandoned open-pit mines such as the Berkeley Pit in Butte,
Montana.

Richard H. Fish, a chemist with the Energy and Environment Division, led the
research into chemically modifying tiny polystyrene beads with a special type
of organic molecule called a ligand so that they recognize and tightly bind to
certain metal ions. The beads are then removed from water and the metals are
recovered from the beads.

Located in an ore-rich section of southwestern Montana, the Berkeley Pit is a
vast open-pit mine that was closed in the 1980s and has been slotted by the
U.S. Department of Energy as a "demonstration site" for environmental
reclamation. Following the shutdown of mining operations, the Berkeley Pit was
filled with some 17 billion gallons of water. Suspended in this water are
substantial concentrations of various types of metal ions, including iron,
copper, zinc, manganese, magnesium, and aluminum.

"Recovering the metals in the Berkeley Pit could be worth billions of dollars,"
says Fish. "Even if the recovery of the metals were not in itself economically
viable, it would help defray the costs of cleaning up the pit."

To recover metal ions from waste water, Fish took what is called a "biomimetic
approach," that is, he mimicked natural ligands that selectively sequester
metals. By modifying commercial polystyrene beads with these biomimics, Fish
and his colleagues created a cage-like molecular complex that will recognize
and encapsulate specific metal ions.

The original complex that Fish and his group synthesized on the beads, called a
"catechol ligand," did not work on metals in aqueous solution. However, by
adding a sulfonic acid group, the researchers not only made their catechol
ligand work in an aqueous solution, they also increased its ability to capture
and remove metal ions by a factor of ten.

"Making and treating the beads is a relatively easy and inexpensive chemical
procedure," says Fish. "The beads have a long life and can be reused after
recovery of their metals."

The ability of Fish's treated beads to selectively react with specific types of
metal ions depends upon the acidity of the water. At the highest acidity, a pH
of 2.5 or less, the beads primarily capture iron, which is by far the biggest
concentration of metal ions in the Berkeley Pit.

"It is important that ferric ions be removed first, because otherwise they will
compete and interfere with the recovery of other metals of value," says Fish.

At a pH of 3.0, after the iron has been removed, the beads favor the recovery
of mercury. Though not present at the Berkeley Pit, mercury is an
environmentally important contaminant present at other DOE demonstration sites.
At a pH of 5.0, the beads begin to select for a range of metals including
copper, nickel, zinc, and manganese. As the water becomes more basic, Fish says
the beads can even be used to remove radioisotopes.

"The more selectivity we have the better off we are because it circumvents the
chemistry of competition that complicates most recovery programs," says Fish.
"If we could provide the same level of recognition in our beads that biological
molecules display we would have the ultimate in selectivity."

Working with Fish on this project have been postdoctoral fellows Songping Huang
and Wei Li, and undergraduates Katherine Franz of Wellesley College, Dana
Miggins of Jackson State University, and Mercedes Coughlin of UC Berkeley.
Working with him as a consultant on the project was Robert Albright.

PHOTO CAPTION -- A "green" technique for recovering metals from waste
water has been
developed by E&E chemists including Dick Fish, Wei Li,
Katherine Franz, Songping Huang, and Brooke Groves-Anderson. Photo by Steve Adams

Second group finishes leadership training program

By Mike Wooldridge, MAWooldridge@lbl.gov

More than 150 department heads, managers and supervisors
celebrated the finish of their FrontLine Leadership Training Program with a
graduation ceremony in the Bldg. 50 Auditorium on Wednesday, Aug. 17. This was
the second group to finish the five-month series of management workshops.

Administered by Zenger Miller Inc. of San Jose, the program works to enhance
management skills through training modules that focus on interpersonal issues
such as managing changes and coaching for optimal performance. Nearly 400
supervisory personnel have gone through training since the Lab kicked off the
first series of workshops last summer.

Several graduates of the program spoke about the positive impact the training
experience has had on their jobs, including Marguerite Fernandes of Inventory
Management, Rose Bolton of Information Systems and Services, Curtis Nunnally
and Joyce Young of Engineering and Kathleen Dinnel of Environment, Health and
Safety.

Rod Fleischman, Associate Lab Director of Administration, and Klaus Berkner,
Associate Lab Director of Operations, also spoke at the ceremony. Fleischman
and Berkner spearheaded the effort to bring the Zenger Miller program to LBL.

The first group of scientific managers began their Zenger Miller training in
June. A follow-up course for managers and supervisors is scheduled to begin in
the fall.

PHOTO CAPTIONS-- Curtis Nunnally of the Engineering Division, a new graduate
of the Zenger
Miller Frontline Leadership Program, talks about his experience with the
program. Photo by Paul Hames

Kicking for the gold

Rupert Perera, a staff scientist at the Advanced Light Source,
coached a Pleasant Hill/Martinez boys' soccer team--the Surge--to a first-place
finish in the under-16 division at the American Youth Soccer Organization World
Games held last month in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Surge was 4-1-1 at the
tournament, scoring 19 goals and giving up only six. The tournament was one of
four such events held across the United States in honor of this year's World
Cup. Perera said he wanted to thank all the Lab employees who supported the
Surge, especially through the team's candy sales. "The ALS users and staff ate
a lot of candy bars for us," he said.

Database Forum Meeting to tackle information issues

Contributed by Rose Bolton

The LBL Database Forum has been a major factor in some of the decisions made
over the last year regarding the direction of computing and information systems
at the Laboratory. A joint effort of ISS and ICSD, the forum was started in
September 1992 to facilitate information exchange and foster coordination among
participants in database projects throughout the Laboratory. Its focus
initially was specific database projects in progress, but it quickly expanded
into addressing overall Laboratory-wide database and information concerns.

The Database Forum meets bi-monthly and usually consists of a presentation by
an individual or group, followed by discussion. It is open to any LBL employee
and is attended by a cross-section of Lab employees who are responsible for or
are interested in the Laboratory's and their own information needs. The forums,
and the opinions expressed, have helped ISS and ICSD formulate directions that
are of benefit to the entire Laboratory.

A major outcome of the Database Forum was the decision to name one relational
database management system (RDBMS) as an LBL standard. A Request for
Information was submitted to major RDBMS vendors and their responses were
evaluated by various volunteer sub-committees. As a result, it was decided that
the Oracle RDBMS would be used as a pilot for a new Purchasing system. The
system went "live" in a pilot implementation phase last month. In the meantime,
several groups at the Laboratory have purchased Oracle and are using it for
their own systems. This is the first time the Laboratory has worked in concert
on developing a database standard.

Currently, the Database Forum is addressing the issue of institutional
data--what is it, who needs it, how can LBL make core institutional data
available? The forum meetings have been helpful in answering these questions.
As a result, the next meeting of the Database Forum will address the current
repository of much of LBL's institutional data--the ToolKit.

Esther Schroeder will present the concept, data and reports available in this
Lab-wide information system. She will also demo its use. Attendees of the
Database Forum have indicated that they are initially more interested in what
is currently available than in what a future repository might provide. Thus,
the upcoming Database Forum will address this issue and will discuss ideas for
more and better use of the ToolKit.

If you are interested in hearing about how the ToolKit might meet some of your
current information needs, you are invited to attend the Database Forum
scheduled from 10:30 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, Aug. 31, in Bldg. 50A-5132.

If you cannot attend but are interested in future meetings, please contact
Valerie Williams (X5587). Other comments or questions can be made to any of the
Database Forum Steering Committee members: ISS: Carl Eben, Rose Bolton, Esther
Schroeder, Steve Abraham, Joyce Putnam, David Polanshek; ICSD: Sandy Merola,
Dennis Hall, Claudia Madison, Mark Dedlow. All of these people can be reached
through dbfsc@lbl.gov.

Database Forum

10:30 a.m. - noon

Wednesday, Aug. 31

Bldg. 50A-5132

N E W S W I R E

NEW EDITORS:

Gareth Thomas of the Materials Sciences Division has accepted the new
position as editor-in-chief of the journals Acta Metallurgica et
Materialia and Scripta Metallurgica et Materialia, two of the most
prestigious journals in the field of Materials Sciences. Kannan M.
Krishnan of LBL's National Center for Electron Microscopy will serve as an
assistant editor.

O'LEARY RESPONDS TO NRDC REPORT:

The following is a statement by Secretary of Energy Hazel R. O'Leary in
response to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) report released on
August 22 that calls for increased global safeguards for plutonium and uranium:
"At the Department of Energy, we are open to reviewing the issue of the
appropriate levels of plutonium and uranium that need to be safeguarded
internationally for nonproliferation purposes. I have asked our technical staff
to get together with the NRDC's technical staff to review their new assessment,
and I look forward to a constructive dialogue. I also welcome anyone else with
the skills to help us evaluate this assessment to come forward and join the
debate. I received a copy of NRDC's report last week and had a chance to review
it in advance, and now that it has been issued, I plan to move forward quickly
to open a dialogue on the issue."

ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANUP UNDER SCRUTINY:

Inside Energy reports in its latest issue that the General
Accounting Office is questioning whether new environmental cleanup technologies
are being given enough consideration for the remediation of contaminated DOE
sites. "We found that new technologies are not being seriously considered or
used to clean up DOE's contaminated sites," states a new GAO report. "Senior
headquarters environmental officials told us that new technologies have not
been rigorously evaluated much less employed by DOE." According to Inside
Energy, the GAO report went on to say that the need for cleanup technology
that is "faster, cheaper, and safer than conventional approaches," is becoming
increasingly important for DOE, given agreements the department has signed with
states and regulators that require accelerated progress in stabilizing or
restoring numerous sites over the next few years. "Developing less costly and
more effective cleanup technologies may be the only way the nation can afford
to clean up the vast amounts of waste generated by the nation's nuclear weapons
production complex."

SEND US YOUR NEWS:

Your news is important to us. If you or your group would like to
announce recent awards, appointments, accomplishments, articles in print and
other items of interest to our readers, please send your announcements to
Currents, Public Information Department, Bldg. 65B; fax to X6641; or
QuickMail to Mary Bodvarsson.

Surplus property sale

LBL will be selling property no longer needed by the Government to the
public every Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the 903 Receiving Warehouse,
2700 7th St., Berkeley. Laboratory employees are invited to attend. An
assortment of property will be offered, including computers, desks,
calculators, laboratory supplies and equipment, test instruments, metals,
drafting tables, cameras, and more. All property will be sold "as is," cash and
carry only. For more information call X5151.

Runaround preparation tips

Runaround XVII, set for noon on Friday, Sept. 16, is only a few weeks
away. This is a fun run, so individual and group costumes are strongly
encouraged.

Remember--you don't have to run to participate. Walkers and striders as well as
runners and joggers are encouraged to join in. Runaround T-shirts will be given
to finishers, and a big post-run party, complete with refreshments, music and
awards, will be held outside the cafeteria. Suggestions for new fun prizes and
other ideas are welcome--call Recreation Coordinator Kathleen Handron at X5474.
Please remember that the run is for LBL employees and retirees only.

Steve Derenzo, an experienced runner and Runaround organizer, has these points
for participants:

Before the runaround: The course is 3 kilometers (1.86 miles) long, with
some steep elevation changes. Participants in average physical condition should
be able to jog the level and downhill portions and walk the uphill sections. If
you want more preparation, jog two or three times a week, one to three miles
per session.

During the Runaround: The race will start promptly at noon on the road
east of the Firehouse, close to the fork (see Aug. 19 Currents for
course map). Unless you are interested in competitive racing, relax and enjoy
it--you don't have to push yourself to the gasping point.

Apple computer demo

ICSD's Computing Services will host an Apple Computer Demo on Tuesday,
Aug. 30, in the Bldg. 50 Auditorium. This will be an opportunity for all
Laboratory employees to learn about the new Power Macs and System 7.5
Software.

LBL's Apple representative, Micaela Weeks, along with several Apple engineers,
will demonstrate the latest models and answer questions. Demo systems will be
available for hands-on testing in the lobby outside the auditorium.

The schedule is as follows:

10-11 a.m. System 7.5 Technical Overview

11-Noon Power Mac Presentation and Product Update

Noon -1:30 p.m. Brown-bag Q&A

Hispanic Month song & dance festival

In honor of National Hispanic Month, the Lab's new Latino and Native
American Association (LANA) will kick off their September activities with a
presentation of dances and songs by Ballet Folklórico of Carlos Moreno
and Bear Spirit Singers & Dancers. The celebration will begin at noon on
Thursday, Sept. 1, in the Bldg. 50 Auditorium. Refreshments will be provided.

If you are interested in joining LANA, please call Rosa Rodriguez at X4766.

LBL softball league

Following are updated scores and standings, effective August 24:

Results of August 24:

CAMshafts 6, Animals 3

Rated X 15, Off-The-Hill 5

Legends 18, Ball Park Estimates 2

CAMshafts 7, Budget Cuts 3

Environ-Mets 11, Native Defects 10

Ball Park Estimates 14, SUDZ 3

Standings as of August 24:

Western Division

Budget Cuts 8-5

Environ-Mets 8-5

Animals 6-7

SUDZ 5-8

CAMshafts 2-11

Eastern Division

Legends 12-1

Rated X 12-1

Ball Park Estimates 5-8

Native Defects 4-9

Off-The-Hill 3-10

Playoffs will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 31, at Kleeberger Field (Gayley Road
at Rimway Road), beginning at 6 p.m.

Open meeting on purchasing

The Lab's Purchasing Process Improvement Team (PIT) will hold an open
meeting from 11 a.m. to noon on Monday, Aug. 29, in the Bldg. 50 Auditorium.
All employees are encouraged to attend.

The Purchasing PIT is one of several process improvement teams currently
underway at LBL. The Purchasing team has the prime objective of reducing "cycle
time"--the period from the date the purchase requisition is completed to the
date the item is delivered. Other objectives include reducing the overall cost
of the purchasing process, reducing errors, and staying in compliance with DOE
and other requirements.

Before the PIT was formed, the Laboratory had already embarked on conversion to
an automated purchasing system, which will eliminate much of the present
paperwork and help meet many other objectives.

Other approaches include eliminating or simplifying many of the signature
approvals that are currently required, developing a Users' Guide to assist new
users of the purchasing system, and introducing streamlined methods for
procuring low-value items. One such method is a business credit card which a
properly trained person can use to purchase items with relative ease. Another
is "Just-in-Time" systems in which a wide variety of pre-approved items may be
readily purchased from catalogs, similar to the present Boise-Cascade system
for office products.

At the open meeting, team members will give an overview and short presentations
on the various approaches to improving the purchasing process. The floor will
then be open for comments and questions, and for raising concerns about the
purchasing process. The team members are Don Grether (Chair), Tom Beales,
Marion Blechman, John Broughton, David Chen, Dennis Hall, Linda Maio, Chuck
McDonald, Teresa Rossi, Rick Schwarz, Helmuth Spieler, and Jerry Young.